Minister deliberates starting a women’s kabaddi league
Cash Award of INR 67,50,000 announced by the Sports Ministry to celebrate the team’s success.

New Delhi. Participating in the 6th Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship held from March 6 to 8, 2025, in Tehran, the Indian Women’s Kabaddi team successfully defended their title beating hosts Iran 32-25 in Tehran on Saturday. This kabaddi tournament returned after an 8-year hiatus, with the previous edition held in 2017 in Iran where India defeated South Korea to win the trophy.

Fresh off this victory, the team returned on Tuesday and were felicitated by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. In lieu of securing the trophy for the fifth time, the Hon’ble Minister announced a Cash Reward of INR 67,50,000 to the team.

Speaking post the felicitation, the Hon’ble minister said, “We will take all efforts to support our female athletes. In line with the men’s league, we will be starting a women’s kabaddi league to give women more opportunities. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi wants our girls to get equal opportunities in the development of Viksit Bharat.”

He further added, “At the Chintan Shivir in Hyderabad, we took a decision to get the corporate sector to adopt one sport and provide the best financial support as well as open academies where athletes get good coaches and give good coaching. We from government will do everything to ensure this even for indigenous sports including kabaddi.”

Clubbed with Thailand, Bangladesh and Malaysia in Group A, India comfortably advanced to the semi- final, defeating Bangladesh 64-23, Thailand 76-21, and Malaysia 73-19 to top their pool with three wins and an impressive cumulative score difference of +150. In their semi-final clash, the team breezed past neighbourhood rivals Nepal with a 56-18 scoreline, setting up an exciting final against hosts Iran. In what was their most challenging game of the tournament, Team India prevailed with the score reading 32-25. Notably, South Korea remains the only other nation to have won this tournament, claiming victory on home soil in 2016.

This accomplishment would not be possible without the leadership of raider and skipper Sonali Shingate, who expressed gratitude for the support that the team has received from the Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs. “This victory is for every member of our team which played magnificently to ensure that we returned as champions. The support from the Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs has been instrumental in our preparation. Our camp held at SAI Sonepat was crucial to our success. We are also very grateful for the timely support from the Supreme Court, for ensuring that India could allowing our team to prepare for this championship. We are glad we could prove successful with the faith put in us. Now, we are looking forward to the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Bihar this June,” an elated Shingate stated.

“This victory reinforces India’s dominance in kabaddi and shows the growing strength of our women athletes on the international stage. The AKFI is proud of this team’s achievements and will continue supporting their participation in forthcoming multi-nation tournaments conducted by the International Kabaddi Federation and the Asian Kabaddi Federation,” said Mr. Jitendra Pran Singh Thakur, the Secretary-elect, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India. He emphasised that the Indian team’s triumph at the 2025 Asian Women Kabaddi Championships, Tehran, was an impressive dress rehearsal for the side that also won gold in the 2023 Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China, as they prepare for the much-awaited Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, to be held in Bihar in June later in 2025.

In this regard, the President of the International Kabaddi Federation, Mr. Vinod Tiwary, who is also the Deputy Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, and Member of the OCA Executive Board, has also conveyed congratulations to the Indian winning team. “The IKF-affiliated countries readily acknowledge the great role that India plays as the torch-bearer for kabaddi. IKF is very grateful to the Indian sports authorities and the Indian Supreme Court for making the Indian women to participate in the 2025 Asian Women Kabaddi Championships in Tehran”, said Tiwary.

First-ever ASMITA Newsletter Launched by Union Minister and Olympian shuttler Pulella Gopichand

New Delhi. State sports Ministers, athletes and administrators joined Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya in a special cycle rally to mark International Women’s Day at Kanha Shanti Vanam in Telangana today.

Speaking during the flag off of the rally, Dr. Mandaviya said, “This cycle rally is a testament to our Nari Shakti, showcasing the determination, leadership, and excellence of women in sports and beyond”.

Held on the sidelines of the Chintan Shivir, a national meet of State ministers and key stakeholders discussing India’s preparation for 2028 LA Olympics and the bid to host the 2036 Summer Games, the cycle rally drew keen interest from members of the Kanha Shanti Vanam, a wellness and spiritual centre.

To mark Women’s Day, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Secretary (Sports) Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi and former Olympian and badminton star Pulella Gopichand along with other prominent athletes launched the ASMITA newsletter. The newsletter captures the essence of ‘Sports For Women’ mission started by the government in 2021. The newsletter also highlights the amazing reach of ASMITA leagues and how they are transforming the lives of young women who are aspiring to take up sports as a career.

Former All-England champion Gopichand, who has coached Olympic medallists like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, said: “As they say women have won more Olympic medals for India and it is only fair that they need to be promoted even more. ASMITA is a great platform and when 15 sports ministers join Dr Mandaviya to talk about the future of sports and chase our Olympics dreams, it is a great initiative. Only the right policies have to be made properly and implemented.”

The cycling rally was led by the Hon’ble Sports minister of Assam Shrimati Nandita Gorlosa, women trainees of the Gopichand badminton academy and para-athlete and a bronze medallist at the Paris Paralympics 2024, Deepthi Jeevanji.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya joined the cycling rally and reiterated the importance of making cycling a regular habit for a healthier lifestyle. The Sundays on Cycle initiative, a key effort led by Dr. Mandaviya, has gained traction across the country, encouraging people to adopt cycling as part of their routine.

“Cycling should become a fashion and a tool to fight obesity and lifestyle diseases. I urge all citizens to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Fit India Movement by dedicating at least an hour every Sunday to fitness,” he said.

It was a sea of yellow at the Kanha Shanti Vanam where all participants enjoyed the cool early morning breeze and cycled the winding 3-km route with great enthusiasm.

Smt. Gorlosa said: “I have cycled after 30 years. It brought me back some wonderful memories. When Dr. Mandaviya said that I have to cycle, I could not say no and I don’t regret it. On Women’s Day, it was a special feeling and I fully agree with the message that cycling means fitness and a good way to channel your energies.”

ABOUT ASMITA:

ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women) is part of Khelo India’s gender neutral mission to promote sports among women through leagues and competition. As such, the Sports Authority of India supports National Sports Federations to conduct Khelo India women’s leagues across multiple age groups at both zonal and national levels. Started in 2021, ASMITA leagues not only aim to increase the participation of women in sports but to utilise the leagues as a platform for identification of new talent across the length and breadth of India.

February 28, 2025: After a great Indian Premier League season last year, Punjab Kings’ explosive batter Shashank Singh is ready to don the red jersey once again and prove his mettle. Having made the headlines with his impressive match-winning performances in season 17 of the tournament, Shashank described how his life has changed in this one year.

Shashank’s back-to-back thrilling performances earned him immense popularity, making him the ninth most searched athlete on Google across the globe in 2024. He grabbed eyeballs when he scored 61* in just 29 balls against Gujarat Titans and helped the team end up on the winning side.

Speaking about the same, Shashank said, “I did not know that Google releases a list of people who are searched across the world. It’s a big thing honestly. I prefer celebrating in solace. But deep inside, it feels good that people across India and the world are searching for my name and knowing what I do.”

Singh credited his time with Punjab for the same. “It has been possible because of the Punjab Kings. There are so many cricketers who are talented, and playing at the top level but Punjab Kings has always shown trust in me and have backed me. It’s true that I worked hard as well.”

Shashank, who was retained by the franchise this season, will also be meeting his DY Patil T20 Cup teammates Shreyas Iyer and Suryansh Shedge at Punjab Kings and expressed his excitement about sharing the dressing room with them once again.

“I am excited to meet Shreyas because I have played cricket with him at the junior level. We played together in the DY Patil T20 Cup and we share a good bond. I am very excited to play under his captaincy this season. I am also excited to reunite with Suryansh, who is also from the same DY Patil team. He is a very bright prospect for both Punjab Kings and the country.,” said Shashank.

Shashank also expressed gratitude to the franchise for the support and the trust vested in him by them. He further expressed the desire and enthusiasm to continue to perform well this season.

“I am extremely lucky that I was a part of this franchise last year and was retained. I personally feel great about the innings against Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. It was a special feeling that the team finished on the winning side and I was the one who was standing there,” The 33-year-old said.

“The support the management gave me last year is something that is very close to my heart. Now I could say that I am emotionally attached to the franchise. I’ll make sure that I do all the right things that I did last year to retain this trust.”

Punjab Kings will open their campaign for IPL season 18 on March 25 against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, at the Narendra Modi Stadium.